Can crusher



Dec. 5, 1961 J. s. KUSLICH ETA]. 3,011,429

CAN- CRUSHER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 1, 1960 FIGZa.

INVENTORS JOHN S. KUSLICH FRANK TAKO Dec. 5,' 1961 J. s. KUSLICH ETA]. 3,

CAN CRUSHER Filed Feb. 1, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS. JOHN S. KUSLICH FRANK TAKO 3,011,429 I CAN CRUSHER John S. Kuslich, St. Paul, and Frank Tako, White Bear, Minn., assignors ofone-tenth to Gadget-Of-The-Month Club, Inc., North Hollywood, Calif., a corporation of California 2.

Filed Feb. 1, 1960, Ser. No. 5,803

1 Claim. (Cl. 100-48) This invention relates to household tools and, more particularly, to a device for crushing empty cans;

It is an object of the present invention to provide a manually operated can crusher that will effectively flatten empty cans.. v

Another object of the present invention is to provide a manually operated can crusher that can be securely mounted upon a bench or platform so as to be operated by hand or foot. V Still an additional object of the present invention is to provide a can crusher of the above type having self contained mechanical advantage means for providinga sufficient force to completely flatten empty cans, and which also includes a device for removing the end walls of the cans.

Other objects of the invention are to provide a can crusher bearingthe above objects in mind which is of simple construction, has a minimum number of parts, is expensive to manufacture, and efiicient in operation.

For other objects and for a better understanding of the invention, reference may be had to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIGURE 1 is va side view of a can crusher made in accordance with the present invention in actual use, with a portion of the near angle bar partially broken away to show the slidable mounting of the pressure plate, and the cutting flange and piercing point carried thereby;

FIGURE 2 is a top plan view taken along line 2--2 of FIGURE 1; 7

FIGURE 2a is an enlarged fragmentary view taken in the direction of the arrows 2a-2a of FIG. 2 illustrating the slidable mounting of the pressure plate, and the cutting flange and piercing point carried thereby;

United States Patent FIGURE 2b is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view I taken in the direction of the arrows 2b2b of FIGURE 2 illustrating the receiving recess carried by the back stop plate;

parts of the base forming a part of the present invention;

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of another part of the base; i

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view of a backstop forming another part of the present invention;

' FIGURE 6 is a perspective view of a pair of bearing plates forming another part of the present invention;

FIGURE 7 is a perspective view of a pressure plate forming another part of the present invention;

FIGURE 8 is a side elevational view of a push bar forming still another part of the present invention;

FIGURE 9 is a side elevational view of a crank arm forming a part of the mechanical advantage means of the present invention.

Referring now more in detail to the drawing, a can crusher 10 made in accordance with the present invention is shown to include a substantially rectangular base 12 having a pair of angle bars 14 secured to opposite lateral sides thereof with upper portions 14A being spaced above the base 12 as fragmentarily shown in FIGURE 2a whereby to slidably mount outwardly extended opposite sides edges A of the rearwardly extending side plates 45 that support and add rigidity to the pressure plate 44, thus effectively slidably mounting the pressure plate 44 FIGURE 3 is an exploded perspective view of certain and the forwardly extending sharpened cutting flange or blade 51, which is rigidly carried by the pressure plate 44 at a level below the upper edges 14A of the angle bars 14 and also at a level below the receiving means comprising the slot 49A between the base 12 and the lower edge 22A of the back stop plate 22.

Each of the angle bars 14 is provided with apertures 16 that are in alignment withcorresponding apertures 18 in the base 12 for attaching these parts together, as well as related parts hereinafterimore fully described; A back stop plate 22 having angularly related sides 20 is secured to one extremity of the base 12, while a pair of bearing plates 24 are secured in spaced apart parallel relationship adjacent to the opposite end of the base plate 12. Each of these bearing plates 24 includes an aperture 26 for rotatably receiving a fastener 28 that extends therethrough and which is pivotally received within a corresponding slotted aperture 30 in -a bell crank lever 32 that has another aperture 34 at one end thereof.

A pivot pin 36 rotatably received within the aperture 34 of the bell crank leverpivotally secures this end of the bell crank lever to one end of a push bar 38 that is pivotally mounted by means of a pin 42 at its opposite end upon a mounting plate 40 of a pressure plate 44. This pressure plate 44 includes the previously mentioned pair of rearwardly extending side plates 45 that add rigidity to the pressure plate. As previously mentioned, the pressure plate 44 is slidably mounted by reason of the fact that opposite outwardly extended edges 45A of side plates 45 extend under corresponding upper parts 14Av of the two side angle bars '14. Additionally, the cutting flange 51, which has a sharpened forward edge, has similar outer edges 51A which lie in the same horizontal plane as the outer edges 45A underneath the top portions 14A of the two side angle bars 14 whereby to slidably mount the-entire assembly consisting of the pressure plate 44, rearwardly extending side plates 45, forwardly extending cutting flange51 and the still further forwardly projectlug-piercing point 49 which is centrally carried by the forward cutting edge of the cutting flange 51.

The forwardly projecting piercing point 49 and the forwardly directed sharpenedlfront edge of the flange 51 are adapted to be forced forwardly from right to left as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 whereby to sever the bottom end wall of an empty used can (which has normally had its top end wall previously removed by a can opener). In the case of a can such as a beer can, or the like, which may still retain its top end wall (although perforated) when empty, first one endwall and then the opposite end wall may be similarly severed from the can in the manner hereinafter more fully described. This severing will occur along a line closely adjacentto the end wall of the can and at -a level such as to be horizontally aligned with the receiving recess 49A defined at the bottom of the back stop 22. This is for the purpose of allowing the pressure plate 44 to be moved almost completely against the back stop 22 when crushing the cylindrical side wall portion of the can virtually completely after completion of the end-wall-severing operation.

The push bar 38 may, in certain forms of the invention, be provided with a longitudinal slot 46 intermediate its opposite ends, which slot slidably receives the transverse pin 48 extending between the bearing plates 24 so as to guide the push bar 38 back and forth under the action of the crank arm 32'whereby to effect longitudinal movement of the pressure-plate 44. In other forms of the invention, the push rod 38 may merely comprise a com 7 necting rod pivotally connected at opposite ends with respect to the crank means 32 and the backof the pressure plate 44, with the slidable engagementof the outwardly extended flanges 45A and 51A underneath the portions 14A of the side angle bars 14 being relied upon to provide true reciprocating movement of the pressure plate 44.

In actual use, a can 50 is placed upon a positioning stop member 52 which is mounted substantially centrally upon the base plate 12 in an upwardly extended position so as to terminate below the level of the piercing point 49 and the forward sharpened edge of the flange 51. Said placing of the can 50 in the path of movement of the piercing point 49 and the forward cutting edge of the flange 51 withthe positioning stop member 52 firmly holding the can 50 by engaging the edge of the annular bead around the bottom rim of the can whereby to resist movement of the can 50 toward the back stop 22 results, when the crank 32 is operated, in first driving the piercing point 49 into the side wall of the can immediately above the bottom end wall of the can, after which the sharpened forward edge of the flange 51 then shears completely through the side wall of the can immediately above the end Wall thereof until such time as it has completely severed said end wall from the can. After this has been accomplished, the can 50, if it has a top end wall, may be inverted and said top or opposite end wall of the can may be similarly severed from the cylindrical can side wall. Then said cylindrical can side wall, minus the two severed ends thereof, is moved while resting upon the top of the flange 51, toward the back stop 22. This movement is continued by complete depression of the crank arm 32 so as to move the pressure plate 44 into very close juxtaposition with respect to the back stop 22 whereby to completely flatten the side wall. 3

Because of the rigid construction of this device, it may be readily mounted upon a work bench or other support so as to be manually operated through the mechanical advantage arrangement of the crank arm and associated push bar.

While various changes may be made in the detail construction, it shall'be understood that such changes shall be within the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claim.

What I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent of the United States is: i v

A can crusher comprising, in combination, a base, a back stop perpendicularly secured to said base, a pressure plate perpendicularly positioned in spaced opposition to said back stop and slidably carried upon said base for movement toward and away from said back stop, mechanical advantage means for advancing said pressure plate, said mechanical advantage means comprising a push bar having one end pivotally connected to said pressure plate and a crank arm pivotally carried upon said base and having one free end pivotally engaged with the op;- posite free end of said push bar, said push bar urging said pressure plate longitudinally in response to pivotal movement of said crank arm, an upwardly directed positioning stop member carried upon said base intermediate said back stop and said pressure plate for engaging an edge of a supported can carried thereupon whereby to positively immobilize said can against lateral movement, and a cutting plate provided with'a sharpened forward cutting edge carried by said pressure plate immediately above said base and immediately ab'ove'thetop of said positioning stop member whereby to pass thereover when shearing a can end held thereby from the side wall portion of the can during advancing movement of said pressure plate resulting from pivotal movement of said crank arm, said cutting plate comprising a forwardly extending flange fixedly carried by said pressure plate and a piercing point integral with and centrally positioned with respect to the sharpened forward edge of said forwardlyextending flange for initial penetration of a can side wall followed-by the sharpened forwardedge for severing a can end, said back stop being provided adjacent the bottom thereof with receiving means lying immediately above the base and horizontally aligned with the piercing point and the forward sharpenededge of the cutting plate for the reception thereof during closing movement of the pressure plate into close juxtaposition to the back stop when squeezing a can side wall portion into completely crushed configuration.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Heymers July 15, 1952 

